Page 27 of Dead in the Water

“Not personally. Sean told me about it. He was working in the bar that night. I think he saw quite a bit of them while they were here. Judging by all the stories he’s been telling. He reckons a woman in the group was flirting with him. It’s all he can talk about.” He pointed at the hotel. “He’s working now. I can introduce you if you want. He’s pretty full of himself, though. I only believe about fifty per cent of the things he tells me.”

“I’d like to talk to him if he’s around.”

“My boss is out at the moment,” Oscar said as they set off towards the striking castle with an outer wall in the shape of a star. “She probably wouldn’t appreciate you nosing around, so you shouldn’t stay too long. Also, you know they’re still staying here, right?”

“Who?”

“The yacht group,” he said lightly. “The friends of the dead guy.”

“No, I didn’t know that. How come?”

“I guess they need to hang around for a few days and they didn’t want to stay on their boat, so they’re staying here.”

“Have you seen them recently?”

“No. And if they appear, you have to promise not to badger them.”

“Umm…” She scrunched up her nose as her investigative instincts sparked with excitement.

“Promise,” he said sharply.

She straightened up. “I promise not to interrogate them or anything… but they were in the ice cream shop the other day, so it probably wouldn’t be out of place for me to strike up a conversation if I see them.”

He looked entirely sceptical. “Just don’t upset anyone, and don’t let my boss catch you.”

“I’ll be discreet,” Lily promised as she pulled at the door.

In the depths of the building, the Dungeon Bar lived up to its name. Originally a prison in the castle's basement, it could easily have been claustrophobic, but the gentle background music and soft furnishings gave a cosier vibe.

The barman, Sean, was a tall wiry guy who looked to be around Lily’s age - late twenties. After shaking Lily’s hand across the bar, he walked around to perch on a stool beside her.

“Lily wanted to ask you about the guy who died,” Oscar said, then glanced back the way they’d come. “I should check on reception. I’ll be back in a bit.” He wandered away, leaving Lily and Sean alone in the empty bar.

“So, do you think someone killed the guy?” Sean whispered, leaning close.

Lily rested her elbow on the bar. “Not necessarily. But I spoke to him before he died, and he mentioned some problemsbetween him and his friends. I thought I’d ask a few questions and see what comes up.”

“You’re a private investigator, right?”

“No. I’m an ice cream seller.”

“That’s an excellent cover for your investigator business.”

Inwardly, she groaned at his leery smile. “It’s not a cover. I’m not hiding anything. Do you know anything about Joseph and his friends, or not?”

He held his hands up in a defensive gesture, but his smarmy smile didn’t shift. “They drank in the bar every evening during their stay.”

“Which was how long?”

“Three nights.”

“Oscar said they argued on the first night?”

“Things seemed to get a little heated. They weren’t rowdy or shouting or anything, but voices were raised and the conversation was tense.”

“Did you hear what it was about?”

He nodded. “They were arguing about their sailing route. I guess some of them wanted to go to Spain and round to the South of France, but some of them wanted to stay around the British Isles.” He lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Just the one guy, I guess. And he’s dead now.” His eyes flashed with mock excitement. “Do you think they bumped him off to settle their argument?”

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